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Twickenham
Twickenham maps
Historic maps of Twickenham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Twickenham maps
Twickenham area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Twickenham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Twickenham
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Twickenham.
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or of a photo of Twickenham.
Johnsons Shoes And The Trolleybuses
Back in 1980 I was a very young lorry driver at just 18 years old, and I would regularly deliver to a chain of shoe shops called Johnsons, one of which was situated in the parade of shops in this photo, and I believe it to be on the right near the bus stand. Twickenham was the first and also the last (1931 to 1962) place in London to have trolleybuses serving it, this began with the trolleybuses affectionately named the Diddlers, with their retro fitted single headlight people were diddled into thinking they were trams. The Diddlers were replaced in 1948 by the latest model (the Q1 class) which you can see on the left of the picture, and in 1960 nearly all of that type were exported to Bilbao and Santander in Spain where they worked amazingly until 1975. Some have now returned to our shores and can be ridden on once again at the East Anglia Transport Museum in Suffolk and also at the National Trolleybus... Read more
Oak Lane Twickenham
Re: the Regent Cinema razed to the ground for a garage. Before it was a cinema, it was... a garage. Really, it was a coachworks called Twickenham Motorworks which was a coachworks. This belonged to my grandfather, Jotham Harrison and his brother Edwin. The business had about 12 people working at one time. They had engines and wheels and chassis and put the bodies on afterwards for the cars and carpets in the interiors. My grandparents had a fine time riding round in brand new cars! My mother was taken there sometimes and Ms. Cattermole kept an eye on her. The WW1 saw them off, as they had a large order for the barrows and unfortunately for them the government commandeered the railways so they had to use the roads. It was more expensive, the order failed and so did the business. Next door to them was a small cinema called "the Lyric" which showed cartoons such a "Felix the Cat". Obviously, my mother must have been taken to see... Read more
A Long Marriage
This is a photograph of the Regent cinema on the right opposite York House in Twickenham where I met my Wife who was an usherette. It has since been knocked down to make way for a garage. She sold me a very long lasting Choc Ice. We courted for 5 years, longer than they do now and married in 1960. I have been happily married ever since. My cousin was the projectionist for a number of years and I used to go with him to choose the interval records from week to week. The projector was of the carbon arc type and films were transported from one cinema to the next by whatever mode of transport each projectionist had. I have a copy of this photograph from Frith on my wall just to remind me of my marriage vows!
Marbe Hill Park
I was born at 41 Sydney Road, St. Margaret's, East Twickenham on 7th August 1936. 75 years later I treasure abiding memories of the time with my grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins in that area. Best of all perhaps were our family walks into Marble Hill Park and on down to the Thames. We used to call it Grandpa's Park as he was quite friendly with the rangers there and I always wanted to live at the Lodge Gate House! Many games of Putt' were enjoyed and once I scored a hole in one so my Uncle Edward gave me a whole half crown - I thought it was wonderful and a lot of money in those days!! Nothing beats anywhere the views across the River to Richmond Hill, the Star & Garter Home and taking the punt across to Ham. Also, going up to the locks at Teddington. Visting Kew, Richmond Park, Hampton Court - the whole area is unique.
Middlesex memories
Whitton Hight St c1965
The photo shows the Nelson Pub end of Whitton High St. At the bottom right of the picture, my Mother Eleanor Wright, can be seen coming out of Williams the Grocers where my retired father Alfred Wright worked as a cleaner part time. The large building in the background was the Odeon Cinema, where my sister held her wedding reception in the upstairs part, in 1948. By coincidence in the 1990s my brother Keith bought the old Williams store, without realising the connection and turned it into The Ark Petshop. The advertising hoarding to the left concealed a bomb site, that had a burnt out car in it which provided a lot of fun for us kids in the 50s.
Doodlebug Over Whitton
It must have been 1944. My Dad was in Burma. Mum, my brother and sister and I had been visiting Dads parent(s) in Seaton Road, Whitton. It was very dark as we sat waiting for the No 18 train to take us back to Feltham. Then we heard the distinctive pulsating throb of the Doodlebug.We could see its exhaust flame which suddenly went out. Moments later there was a huge explosion from the direction of the High Street. Was it a filling station it hit?.
The train arrived soon after and we went home.
Whitton
My good memories of Whitton are of Woodlawn Crescent, I had a good friend who lived there and I used to help him repair cars. Mike sadly has passed away now and I have lost contact with his wife, Sheila. We used to have a great time together. They had a Vespa and I had a Vauxhall Cresta. We used to go down to Swanage where Mike's parents lived. Well sad but I wish I had contact with Sheila again.
Allan Stevens.
